Institution-building, Governance and Compliance in Brazil: Politics, Policy and Business
February 6th (at Columbia University) & February 7th (at The New School)
In Brazil, politicians and bureaucrats often use their control rights over state-owned companies and other public agencies to extract rents for both political and personal reasons. Similarly, a group of connected businessmen have learned to wage their political contacts as the main drive of their enterprises. Indeed, Brazilian democratic governance has been performed through a “coalitional presidentialism” in which the head of government navigates a multiparty environment by sharing power and rents with key legislators and power brokers. Over the last fifteen years, this system has become more “expensive” because of further party fragmentation and the lack of administrative and political reforms. In March 2014, a great deal of these arrangements started to be uncovered by the still ongoing anticorruption investigation dubbed Operação Lava Jato (Carwash Operation), as Petrobras was found as the centerpiece of a multi-billion kickback and bribery scheme developed to fund political parties and electoral campaigns. Since then, the unfolding inquiry has undermined Brazil’s political and business establishment, producing shockwaves across the nation.
This event aims to bring together leading practitioners, scholars and high-profile public officers to discuss the effects of Carwash Operation in Brazil’s current and future institutional framework. What has changed so far in terms of political, policy and business practices? For how long? Is there room for further institutional improvements? Is the system reformable? How is the Operation helping to support a market-based development agenda grounded on the rule of law? How are national and foreign investors reacting to these changes and challenges? What comes next for Brazil?
The event is organized by the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies at Columbia University and the Janey Program in Latin American Studies at the New School for Social Research, in New York.
Featured Guest Speakers
Carmen Lúcia Antunes Rocha is the Chief Justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court.
Sérgio Fernando Moro is a Brazilian federal judge who has gained national and international fame for commanding the prosecution of the crimes identified in the investigation nicknamed Operação Lava-Jato (Carwash, in English), a corruption probe involving government officials and business executives.
Paulo Roberto Galvão is a Brazilian federal prosecutor, member of the Carwash Operation Task Force which negotiates plea bargains with high-profile politicians and businessmen accused of wrongdoings.
Tickets are free. Please use the following links to RSVP in order to secure a spot:
RSVP for February 6th at Columbia University here (SOLD OUT)
RSVP for February 7th at The New School here
Sponsors:
Lemman Center for Brazilian Studies, ILAS-Columbia
Janey Program in Latin American Studies, New School for Social Research (NSSR)
Center on Global Economic Governance (CGEG), SIPA-Columbia
Center for Development Economics and Policy (CDEP), SIPA-Columbia
Columbia Global Centers – Rio de Janeiro
Heilbroner Center for Capitalism Studies, NSSR
Department of Sociology, NSSR
Department of Politics, NSSR
Department of History, NSSR
Co-Sponsor:
Consejo Empresarial de América Latina (CEAL)